Living Without a Mom
by sunsetvalleylove
Summary: Why doesn't Sam Sekemoto have a mom? What actually happened to her?
1. Chapter 1: If Only

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 1: If Only

_So, here's my new story. It focuses on the Sekemoto family in Sunset Valley. I always wondered why little Sam never had a mom. It's in the same timeline as my other stories, but forgive me if I get any ages or things wrong. I made everything complicated so right now it's all a huge muddle in my brain. Also, I've made Sam the same age as Bella and all the other premade kids in Sunset Valley. I've created a character for Sam's mom and will have a possible solution to why she's nonexistent. I don't know how long this story is actually gonna be, it's probably gonna be ten chapters maximum. Still not sure though. It's also my first time writing a full story in the third person. The reason being is that there's probably gonna be loads of different accounts from people, so it would get confusing with loads of POVs. Though, it might keep flashing back to the present time. _

Sam Sekemoto sat on his front step. Locked out again. Then without warning, he started thinking about the mom that he never met. Just days after he was born, she died in an extreme accident. Well, that's what Sam's grandmother said. He didn't know if it was true. But Yumi Sekemoto was always right, so it must be true. Though he still had his doubts. Who could blame him?

The only trace that Sam had of his mother was a picture in his room that he keeps in his sock drawer. Nobody in his family ever looks there. It's a small picture and is torn at the edges, but you could clearly see her face. Sam never actually found out what her name was. So in his head, he imagined what it would be like if she had stayed. She'd be called Scarlett and her long brunette hair would be perfectly braided down her back. He'd come home from school and be greeted with a hug. He'd never be locked out for hours on end. Then his dad would come home and the family would cuddle together on the sofa and watch TV. Then maybe Grandma Yumi would come round with her plate of grilled salmon. Man, Grandma Yumi's grilled salmon was to die for. And then when it was bedtime, he'd be tucked in by his parents and his mother would sing him to sleep. Life would be perfect.

But that was just a twisted fantasy. It would never happen. It was never supposed to happen. What really happens instead is that every day, Sam comes home from school and he's locked out for at least two hours before Grandma Yumi comes home from her book club meeting. He always manages to miss his dad by a matter of minutes, school always finished just as Leighton went to work. Sam never quite understood why he never got a key. His dad and grandmother always told him to go round to a neighbour's house after school. What was the point? It would be too awkward. Even though the Bachelor's were right next door and Bella was in Sam's grade, they weren't exactly the best of friends. The Alvi's would argue constantly. Erin Kennedy was scary and she didn't even own a TV. The Clavell's were old and Xander was a bully. The Hart's were just plain weird, that went without saying. The Goth's were too strange and their house was creepy, plus Sam never really talked to Mortimer. His best friend, Scott Keaton, always tagged along to his dad's workplace. He worked at the same place as Sam's dad, the Llama Stadium. The two had the same work hours, though at different positions. Sam never bothered visiting his dad, he was a toddler coach.

But what Sam didn't actually know, is the absolute truth of what happened to his mother. If Sam knew, then he'd beg every single day to be taken to her.

_Many years earlier_

Opal Souza stared across the classroom to the new boy. He was quite quiet, she thought. His black hair swept across his right eye rather carelessly. It gave him the bad boy effect, though his outfit seemed slightly nerdish. Turns out that his name was Leighton, and he moved to Sunset Valley from a place called Hidden Springs.

Throughout the lesson, Opal stared at this Leighton guy. The class bully, Xander Clavell, kept throwing things at him. It was amazing how Leighton kept calm throughout it all. If it was Opal in his position, she would've lost it by now.

Leighton also seemed to be staring across the classroom in between having things thrown at him. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off a brunette with the most amazing hazel eyes. He soon found out through the teacher asking her a question that her name was Opal. It seemed to suit her perfectly. If only he had enough confidence to talk to her. There was one amazing moment in that class where they had eye contact, but Opal frowned and turned towards the projector board, where the teacher was showing a slideshow on the importance of grammar. Oh well, Leighton guessed that he had to work on his first impressions. Or at least stop staring at people that he'd never met before in his entire life. At this rate, he'd scare everyone away. Not exactly the best reputation. His thoughts were interrupted by a ruler smacking his face, courtesy of Xander Clavell. How that guy never got caught, nobody knew.

After class, Leighton ran out to avoid bumping into anyone. He never really had any friends in Hidden Springs either, just one or two and even then they didn't really communicate much. Opal watched from a safe distance as the new boy ran off. She smiled to herself. Leighton seemed different from all the other guys.

Leighton sighed after school as he reached his new house. Things were never the same after dad left. Now he wasn't ever gonna see him again. Of course he blamed himself. Who wouldn't? After all the homework had been done, he decided to take a walk around town. After all, he will be here for quite a while.

Opal had decided to leave the cinema early, not even saying goodbye to her friends who constantly treated her like a third wheel. Pfft, the movie was boring anyway. Plus, being considered popular did have its downsides sometimes. Like being invited to movies constantly. Why did she even waste her money on movies that weren't even good to start with?

Not wanting to go home yet, Opal decided to have a peaceful stroll. She had no idea where she'd end up. But she couldn't help but smile to herself when she saw Leighton walking in the same direction that she was heading. He never talked to anyone at all today, he looked like he needed a friend. And Opal was prepared to be that friend. She approached him with a calm expression. Leighton looked startled at first, he thought she was gonna tease him or something.

'Hey.' smiled Opal.

'H-hi.' stuttered Leighton. The only person who he really ever socializes with is his mom, so it wasn't his fault. He didn't know what to say.

'How're you settling into town?'

'Good, I suppose. It seems nice here.'

'Not the people though. Especially Xander Clavell. Know him?'

'Nope.'

'You should. He's the guy who kept throwing stuff at you in English today.'

Leighton got lost for a moment. He was staring at Opal's beautiful hael eyes again. He was hoping that it wouldn't become a habit.

'Oh. So that's who it is.'

'Yeah. So, who did you come here with?'

'My mom.'

'What about your dad?'

'Haven't seen him for quite some time now and probably won't ever again. He left my mom for some younger lady.'

'Oh gosh. I'm sorry.' Awkward, thought Opal. She bit her lip. How was she gonna continue this conversation? 'So, do you miss your friends from your old school?'

'Nah, not really. I never actually had many friends.'

'Oh, why not?'

'Dunno. I was never really charismatic to start with.'

'Right... so what's your best subject in school?'

'You probably won't believe me, but P.E.'

'Really? You're an athlete?'

'Well, not an athlete but I'm working on it.'

Opal giggled and then felt her face burning bright red. She didn't even know where that giggle came from. But there wasn't really anything to be embarrassed about, as Leighton started giggling too. It wasn't long before the pair were in a serious laughing fit. They finally managed to calm down and then took a long stare into each other's eyes. Sure they'd only just met and had barely talked, but without a doubt they were attracted to one another. Without hesitation, their lips were locked together.

Opal was glad that she left the movies early.

_Why was I so excited whilst writing this? Probably either because it's a new story, or because I'm writing in a style that I barely use. I keep getting my words fuddled up in third person though, you may have to get used to that. BTW in case you're confused, Sam refers to his mother as Scarlett because he doesn't know her real name. It's really Opal. At first I was gonna do a plot twist and have Sam's mother be Anabelle Oinkslopes, a pre-made dead sim buried in Sunset Valley's graveyard. But then I decided not to, though I'll probably find a small role somewhere for her in the early chapters of this story. I actually think she's quite pretty._


	2. Chapter 2: Keeping Secrets

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 2: Keeping Secrets

_Hi! Oh gosh, that was the awkwardest start to an intro ever. Well, I'm glad that people seem to like this story. I have like zero motivation right now so be prepared if nothing makes sense. This is now the only story that I'm working on, besides from the Lolita one over on Wattpad. Though there's only one more chapter of that. _

_A couple of hours later_

'Oh my god.' thought Opal as she sat in her room. She'd just kissed a guy that she had only just met. She already had a boyfriend! The local bad boy in the grade above, Jared Frio. If he found out about that kiss, chances are Opal would end up in hospital. Sure he could cook her some mean goopy carbonara, but he could be extremely lazy and rude. He can be quite scary when he wants to be.

But Leighton was so... _different. _There was just something about him. She didn't want to break up with Jared but she didn't want to hurt Leighton's feelings. This could only mean one thing. Opal was going to have to be a two-timer. This could ruin her entire reputation, but she was willing to take the risk. Now if only Leighton could keep a secret too. Should be easy enough, right?

'I love Leighton Sekemoto!' Opal randomly blurted out loud before slapping a hand over her mouth. Damn, that was loud. Well, the only other people in the house were her parents. Hell knows where her brother, Quinn, was. He was always sneaking out of the house at random hours and not returning until sunrise. Everyone had became used to it by now.

Anyway, Opal couldn't believe what she'd literally yelled out to the entire world. Where did that come from? It was totally unexpected.

Across town, Leighton was staring out across the balcony. He was so happy. Today he managed to get his first kiss with a popular girl. Score! Not to mention that today was his first day at a new school. Looks like life in Sunset Valley won't be so bad after all. But wait, didn't she already have a boyfriend? Oh, who cares. Leighton continued to stare across the beautiful town and spotted Opal pacing back and forth in her room. He felt the urge to yell for her as her window was open, but then basically the entire population of Sunset Valley would be able to hear him. So instead he continued to stare. Being the quiet one had its moments.

_The next morning_

Leighton was woken up by a loud knock at his front door. He was the only one who could answer, his mom was already at work. Who could it possibly be at this hour? The mail man with a parcel? Doubt it. With a sigh, Leighton opened the door to find Opal standing there. Wait, how did she find his house?

'Can I come in?' she asked politely, looking round to see if anyone was watching.

Leighton stood aside and Opal stepped inside. She stared around at the place. Still pretty bare.

'Sorry about the mess. Just moved in and all. Would you like something to drink?' offered Leighton.

'No thanks, I'm good.' Opal continued to stare around. If a complete stranger saw this, they'd surely think that she had a problem. But Leighton wasn't one to judge.

'So, why are you here so early? Is everything alright?'

'Well, listen. I do want to stay in a relationship with you, but I already have a boyfriend.'

'Right...'

'So are you willing to keep a secret relationship with me?'

'Yeah.'

'Good. Because I think I love you already.'

Then Opal and Leighton were kissing again. It was much more passionate than the previous night. After they broke apart, Opal spoke again.

'Anyway, I better head back before my parents and brother notice that I'm gone. See you at lunch? Meet me behind the science block with your food.'

'Okay, see you then.'

'Bye!' waved Opal with a wink. Leighton watched her run off down the road with a longing expression on his face. He was gonna love that girl forever.

True to her words, Opal showed up behind the science block at lunch time. Leighton did some research and it turns out that Opal's boyfriend is in a different lunch period.

'Hey. Sorry I'm late. Sir gave me a lecture. But hey, I'm here now. How long have you been waiting?' she asked, out of breath. She sat down and unpacked her lunch.

'Oh, not long. Just a couple of minutes.' replied Leighton. Opal grinned.

'You're still a little shy around me, aren't you?'

'Maybe.'

'Don't be. I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything.' she laughed. When Opal laughed, it triggered Leighton to do the same. It's contagious.

They spent the rest of their lunch break sharing lunch and joking about their classmates. Maybe they kissed too.

_Sorry for the short chapter, I promise that the next one will be longer. Had a late start on this one. Blame homework and stuff like that._


	3. Chapter 3: A Helping Hand

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 3: A Helping Hand

_Is it bad that today I managed to break a Macbook in the Apple store? Haha, oops. _

_A couple of weeks later_

Leighton and Opal managed to continue their secret relationship as they grew closer. Opal planned to break up with Jared sometime in the near future. They seemed to be growing apart anyway, though she couldn't help but still feel guilt over what she was doing. She was cheating on her own boyfriend with a guy she was still getting to know. But it just seemed so... right.

But really, Opal needed to break up with Jared sooner rather than later. More and more people were becoming suspicious about her and Leighton. So they had to agree to only meet outside at school, at hidden locations.

Sadly, Jared was also aware of the rumors spreading about his girlfriend. He'd soon sort it out once and for all. He made his way to Opal's house and hammered his fist on the door.

'Oh crap. Someone's here.' panicked Opal as she and Leighton were cuddled next to each other.

'Leighton, you need to hide in the attic. It's the only place you can actually be right now?'

'What?!'

'Don't waste your time! Go!' urged Opal as the door was hammered on for a second time. Leighton scrambled up the stairs into the attic and Opal shut the latch after him. Then she ran downstairs and answered the door, only to find Jared standing there.

'Oh... hi Jared.' she fake smiled. Just what she needed, both of her boyfriends under the same roof at the same time. She was just praying that Leighton would keep quiet.

'Hey there babe. Can I come in?' grinned Jared. He already had her wrapped around his finger without her knowing.

'Sure. Can I get you anything?'

'Nah, I'm fine. I was actually wanting to ask you something.'

'Yeah?'

'Would I be able to stay the night? I'm locked out until the morning.'

'Sure. Anything for you, babe.'

Upstairs, Leighton thought he was going crazy. Surely Opal didn't just agree to let Jared stay the night? How was he supposed to get home now if he was locked in the attic?! Great.

Back downstairs, Jared was making himself at home. He'd already helped himself to a large packet of Doritos and bottle of Pepsi. Opal sighed.

'Just one more night with him... and then he'll be gone.' she reassured herself.

She sat next to him on the sofa.

'So babe, everyone's been saying lately that you've been cheating on me.' began Jared.

'Why would they be saying that? I love you and only you.' lied Opal.

'I know you do. I don't believe a single word of those rumors. But if you are cheating on me, I'd advise that you tell me now.'

'I'm not!'

'Are you sure about that?'

'For crying out loud Jared, of course I'm sure! Are you accusing me of lying?!'

'You know what, Opal? Yes I am. I know you're cheating on me. I believe the rumors. It was pretty obvious, did you think that I was stupid?'

'Jared, please leave.'

'No, not until you tell me the entire truth!'

'I am!'

'You are not! And I will continue to shout at you until you tell me! Got it?!' he then pushed her hard against the wall, causing a huge bang throughout the house.

Leighton had to get out of the attic as soon as possible. Opal was in trouble and he knew it. He was extremely worried for her, the entire house went quiet after that bang. Something had happened.

Scurrying across the attic for something he could use to help break him out of there, he quickly found a hammer. Not the best, but it would do. It would probably damage the ceiling too, but he'd pay for it to be fixed. As he began hammering away, he heard Opal scream before Jared yelled at her. Leighton hammered faster and faster until a section of the wooden floor dropped down onto the upstairs passage. He dropped himself down before running down the stairs. Opal and Jared were nowhere to be found.

Scanning the room for clues, he noticed that the door leading out into the backyard was open when it was closed earlier on. A small trail of blood also led to the door.

'Crap.' thought Leighton. Here comes his first real fight. He ran out through the back door and found Jared still yelling at Opal, demanding she told the truth. She was sobbing like crazy, blood pouring down her face. What the hell did Jared do to her?

Before Leighton could do anything else, Opal's friend Annabelle just appeared out of nowhere. Well, she did live across the street. She probably saw something or other.

'Jared, get off her now!' screamed Annabelle, trying to tackle him to the ground, away from Opal. She noticed Leighton standing there sheepishly by the door.

'Don't just stand there! Help get him away from my friend!' she ordered.

Leighton jumped at the opportunity of finally getting to hurt Jared. He hurt Opal, he deserves as much payback as he can get. Without a second thought, he ran over and kicked Jared right where it hurts. He fell to the ground in agony. That was probably the most violent thing that Leighton had ever done. Annabelle then gave Jared an extra kick for good measure.

Behind them, Opal was still bleeding like a waterfall but this time she was on the ground and couldn't even get up.

'Opal! Are you alright?!' gasped Annabelle, running to the side of her friend.

'I... I think so... Is Leighton alright?'

'Yes Opal, he's fine. He isn't hurt. So it was true then? About you and him?'

'Yeah.'

'Thought so. You two go together so much better than you and Jared.'

'Where is Leighton?'

'He's right behind me.'

'Can we have a moment?'

'Sure. I need to call the police and the hospital anyway.'

Annabelle stepped aside and kicked Jared yet again whilst she was at it. He was still groaning in pain. Leighton ran over to Opal and kissed her on the forehead.

'It's alright Opal. You're safe now.' he reassured.

'Did he hurt you?'

'No, he went nowhere near me. I'm more worried about the fact that he hurt you.'

'I don't wanna talk about it.' mumbled Opal.

'It's alright, I understand.'

'Leighton?'

'Yeah?'

'I... I love you.'


	4. Chapter 4: Changes

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 4: Changes

_Urgh. I've had like no motivation in the last few days. I'm updating less frequently for like a month because end of term is coming up. Know what that means? Loads of homework and revision. Just what I want. So, chapters will probably be shorter and not as good too. Oh yeah, on the Sims 3 exchange I'm making loads of the characters from my stories and uploading them on there. So far I've made Opal (both teen and YA, kinda teaser for this story), Bella (how she's portrayed in my stories), the triplets and Jessica. Dylan will probably appear in a few days along with many others. If you fancy just having a look in general or even downloading them, my username is Megzah123._

_Present time_

Sam groaned as it started to rain. Typical, huh? He's still locked out for another hour and a half before grandma Yumi comes home. What the hell was he supposed to do until then? There was no room whatsoever for shelter. He was still refusing to shelter in a neighbour's house. He'd rather get drenched all the way through for hours on end rather than be hit over the head with flying objects from Xander Clavell.

Rolling his eyes at Bella Bachelor and Darlene Bunch running into the Bachelor household screaming, Sam decided to imagine more about his nonexistent mother. Why did she have to die? Why her? Why then, just as he'd been born?

But wait, if she was dead then why didn't she have a grave? And if she was cremated, then surely her ashes would have been scattered somewhere nearby where he could still visit.

Maybe she wasn't even buried in the cemetery, maybe she was buried in the graveyard at Goth Manor? Meh, probably not. Only members of the Goth family are buried there. The only person in that graveyard that didn't die during old age was Lolita.

Anyway, Sam wished that he had access to his sock drawer right now. He could do with another analysis of the picture of his mom. Surely there must be other ones somewhere. He guessed that his dad got rid of them when she died as he didn't want to be reminded of her. The pain would be too much.

_Eleven years earlier_

After the entire fiasco with Jared, life slowly moved on. Leighton and Opal could now go public with their relationship, a huge plus for them. They were becoming even closer. Opal even had it in her head that this could finally be a relationship where she could stay committed. That was a new record for her.

But it all changed when news arrived that Opal had to move to Bridgeport. Sure it still wasn't that far away, but it wouldn't be the same. She'd have to go to a different school and wouldn't be able to see Leighton as often, only on weekends. Naturally, both were devastated.

Moving day was fast approaching. Before anyone knew it, it had arrived.

Opal and Leighton held each other close as the rest of her family packed stuff into the car.

'Don't forget me!' Opal said, smiling sadly.

'Of course I won't. We'll still talk on the phone every night and meet on weekends. I promise.' insisted Leighton.

'Are you sure?'

'Sure I'm sure.'

'Well, alright then. Guess I'll see you next Saturday.'

The pair had a long kiss before Opal pulled away and skipped over to the car. She waved as it drove away. Leighton stared sadly onwards before turning and walking home, kicking a stone onto the road.

_A few weeks later_

'LEIGHTON!'

'Yes, mom?'

'Come here. Now.'

'What do you want?'

'Well, are you really serious about your relationship with Opal? I mean, you're in your last year of school now. You have a really bright future. You have the brains to get scholarships to some of the best universities in SimNation. A long distance relation isn't going to help that.'

Leighton rolled his eyes. It was almost like his mom atually _wanted _him to break things off with Opal.

'No, mom. It's not a long distance relationship. Opal still lives near enough. It's not affecting my education in any possible way. And who says that I even want to go to university? I'm going wherever Opal goes.'

'Well Leighton, mark my words. Stay with her and your life will go to ruins. Not to mention-'

'MOM, SHUT UP!' snapped Leighton. He'd had enough of her nagging.

'Excuse me, young man?! Get to your room right now!'

'Mom, I'm sixteen!'

'I don't care. Room. Now.' growled Yumi. Leighton sighed in defeat and stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. Nothing was ever gonna happen between him and Opal. Ever.

_I'm sorry for the short chapter. I'll try and write a better one at the weekend. By the way, Sam is supposed to be nine in this story. _


	5. Chapter 5: Missing You

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 5: Missing You

_Either I have writers block or no motivation. One of the two. Eh, school is being crazy at the moment. A geography essay and maths exam are just two of the things going on. This story is also probably gonna be shorter than expected, just a heads up. I want to try and put Leighton under the spotlight for this chapter, Opal seems to steal a lot of it._

As the weeks went by, Leighton found himself drifting apart from his mother and girlfriend. Yumi continued to nag about breaking things off with Opal. It was almost like she wanted a bad relationship with her son. But not being as close to Opal was surprising. She hadn't really been answering to Leighton's texts as much as she used to. They still saw each other weekly, but only on Saturdays. Though even then, it wasn't the same anymore.

After having yet another argument with his mom, Leighton stormed out of the house whilst it was hailing outside. Great. Well, he wasn't going straight back inside. He wanted to prove a point, whatever that may be.

Leighton kept on walking. He didn't know where he was going. He actually wouldn't be surprised if he just walked so far in a straight line that he ended up in the ocean. But whatever. He thought about life. It was looking better in the friendship department. He'd made friends with Anabelle, Opal's friend, as well as some other people. Even though things still weren't exactly the best right now, they were way better than they were in Hidden Springs.

Already giving up, Leighton sighed and made his way into Hogan's diner for shelter. He and Opal always used to hang out here. Now he's usually there all by himself. Leighton looked away as Connor Frio, Jared's younger brother, walked in. Sure he was nothing like his brother, but still. Things were just awkward between those two and they always would be. It just went without saying.

Leighton wasn't leaving any time soon. The hail outside was even worse and was rattling off the roof and windows of the diner. After ordering some fries, Leighton sat down at his and Opal's booth and stared outside. They always sat there. The only reason why is because Opal once spilt her drink on the red seat and somehow it never came off. Strange backstory, but it made that seat ever more personal.

Leighton was interrupted when Jessica Bachelor and her best friend Zelda Mae came running into the diner. Oh no. Not them. They were the most annoying eight year olds that Leighton had ever encountered. Shouldn't they have a parent with them? Oh, there's Simis Bachelor. He steered the two girls to the booth behind where Leighton was sitting. Great, now he had to listen to those two scream and yell about everything. As Simis walked off to order, a head appeared on either side of Leighton's head. Jessica and Zelda were standing on the seat of their booth and leaning into Leighton's.

'What do you want?' he muttered. Stupid kids.

'Just wonderin' where your girlfriend is.' laughed Jessica. Zelda giggled. Leighton was so close to smacking their heads together.

'Yeah, usually you two are always in here whilst doing kissy kissy and all that other boring love stuff.' added Zelda.

'She moved away.' Leighton then began to mutter under his breath, 'And I wish that you two would do the same.'

'What did you say there?'

Leighton was about to finally snap but then Simis returned with food.

'Girls, sit down and stop bothering Leighton and Opal.' he ordered.

'Daddy, you're so silly. It's just Leighton there.' laughed Jessica.

Without another word, Leighton stood up and left the diner. The hail outside had stopped and the ground was now covered in puddles. But he didn't feel like going home just yet. Instead he found himself making his way over to Opal's old house. There he stood, just staring at it. It was a grand old building that went up three floors. It looked quite traditional, probably was one of the oldest buildings in Sunset Valley. Once Opal said that apparently a guy fell from the attic in there and died. Wow. And to think that Leighton was once locked in there. It was near to the cliffs that dropped into the ocean.

Leighton sighed as he turned away from the house. He wished that Opal still lived there. She gave him a reason to wake up in the morning.

He had a strange feeling though that Opal was cheating on him with someone else. She'd been acting differently around him and he'd Googled why. It all seemed to add up.

Though even if she was cheating on him, he'd forgive her. She was just that kind of person.

After another walk around town, Leighton finally went home. His mother only nodded as he walked in through the front door. He did the same back.

_Present day_

Sam was trying to do the hardest task that anyone could ever possibly do; remember what his mother looked like from memory.

It was physically impossible but he tried anyway. When grandma Yumi would eventually arrive home, he'd ask where his mom was buried. He wished that he could just have one moment to talk to her.

On the bright side though, it had finally stopped raining. Sam smiled sadly at the thought of his mother.

What brought him to think of her this much today? It was just a random thought that just decided to stick into Sam's mind. Strange.

_Ten years earlier_

'Hey Opal, can you come over? I feel like hanging out and I miss you.'

Leighton was on the phone to his girlfriend for the millionth time that week. Safe to say that they were becoming close again.

_Urgh, I give up. I'll write a long chapter once school's out. Same with even thinking about new story ideas. Plus right now I have the worst concentration span ever. I was listening to I'll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans whilst writing this. Somewhat fitting. Hey, this story is already reaching a climax. Sorta. _


	6. Chapter 6: Confusion

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 6: Confusion

_Urgh. I'm starting to hate snow. On Monday someone threw a snowball at me and it hit right in my eye. I couldn't even see at all for a few moments, I thought I was blinded. Now there's a small cut where it was thrown. Then today was awesome at first with the snowstorm during school, but then my dad nearly crashed the car on a main road, with me in it. It was scary. It's so cold here too! Meant to be like -5 tonight which is a problem for me as I've got a damp problem in my room and I sleep right next to the air vent and window. This is also going to be a short chapter. _

Leighton waited patiently for Opal to arrive. Honestly, he didn't know what he'd do without her. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful person to ever walk the planet.

As Opal drove into Sunset Valley, she smiled to herself. She had decided to look her worst and see how Leighton would react. No makeup, hair lazily tied back, purple and blue striped jumper and navy tracksuit bottoms. She was too lazy to get ready this morning. Eh, he wouldn't mind. He never seemed to ever care what she looked like. But it was still sweet to hear him say that she was beautiful every time he saw her.

Opal eventually pulled into Leighton's drive. She sighed with relief when she saw that his mom's car wasn't there. No matter what, she just could never get along with that woman. Not to mention that Yumi had the charisma skills of a lettuce. How could anyone like her? All she ever seemed to do was nag at Leighton and shake her head disapprovingly of Opal.

Giving a small look around Sim Lane, she stepped out of the car and knocked on the front door. It wasn't long before Leighton answered.

'Hey there babe, come on in.' he smiled, holding out his hand. Opal took it.

'Hi Leigh. Can we watch a movie?' she asked.

'Sure. Anything for you. By the way, you look beautiful.'

'Aw, thanks!'

The two made their way onto the sofa where Opal snuggled up into Leighton's arms. They decided to watch Aladdin, an old favourite of both. Halfway through the film, they decided that it would be fun to imagine that Opal was Jasmine and Leighton was Aladdin. That made the movie so much better than it already was.

After the movie had finished, Leighton made some lunch for the pair of them. His pancakes were just too awesome.

_Present time_

'Hey Sam, you alright?' said a voice. Sam looked up to see a concerned looking Jocasta Bachelor standing at her front door.

'Yeah, I'm fine.' he replied.

'Are you sure? You've been out ever since you came home from school. Isn't anyone in?'

'Yes, I'm sure. Nope, there isn't anybody in.'

'You can come in here if you want? There's plenty of room to spare.'

'Thanks, but no thanks. Grandma Yumi should be coming home soon anyway.'

'Well, alright then. But remember, you're welcome to come round if you're ever locked out.'

'Okay, thanks!'

Jocasta then shut the door and went back inside. Sam sighed in relief.

It surely must have been three hours since Sam left school now. It was still surprisingly light. His thoughts were interrupted when a tall and skinny girl was walking up the street. Her light brown hair was cut short in a fringe across her face, similar to his dad. And Cornelia Goth. She wore black jeans with a dark green cami. She looked like she was on something. There were deep dark circles under her eyes that were either due to a lack of sleep or something else. Sam didn't wanna think about that. Heavy eyeliner was worn. To top it all off, she had a visible tattoo on her arm that had was in the shape of a bright red broken heart. And she smelt pretty bad too.

'C-can I help you?' stuttered Sam. The girl was creeping him out now, she was stood in the middle of the street just staring at him.

'Sam?'

_Told you it would be a short chapter. Last Sam POV for a few chapters. He'll be back at the end of the story. This is probably the worst chapter yet, I can admit that. I'm only gonna release chapters on Wednesdays and at the weekend until after Christmas. _


	7. Chapter 7: Adjustment

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 7: Adjustment

_Hey! So yeah, I had a mini break from writing and I will again until next weekend after this chapter. I was gonna write last weekend but then I got super ill and had to take some time off school. It was a mix of food poisoning and this norovirus bug that's been going around recently. Honestly, it was awful. I lost my entire appetite and ate literally nothing for two days. Thankfully I'm all recovered now. School is still stressful. Still have to revise for history and science tests, as well as practice like crazy for a choir concert. Oh yeah, remember Dylan from my Bella story? He's on the exchange now. Once again this will be a short chapter, as my writers block is still going strong. _

Leighton smiled to himself as he watched Opal eat her pancakes. In his eyes, she was the pure definition of perfection. It was so cute when she got crumbs all over her face. Sure it didn't make her look too attractive and it seemed like she was a little toddler, but it made her look adorable.

Opal finished off her pancakes and not even the smallest crumb was left. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around Leighton's neck.

'Thanks so much for the pancakes Leigh, they were amazing.' she

grinned, brushing her boyfriend's black hair out of his eyes so she could look into them. She loved how dark they were, they were almost mysterious looking. No, forget about his eyes, Opal just loved Leighton altogether. She'd never met anyone with such a caring heart.

She planted a kiss on his lips and he returned the favour. Before they knew it, the pair were in an intense makeout session on the sofa. But then Opal began unbuttoning Leighton's shirt...

_A few weeks later_

It had been a hard day at school for Leighton. He narrowly missed a three hour detention and he had so many tests to study for. He had to put up with five more months of hell before he could leave. He guessed that the only thing he could do was survive.

As he approached his front door, he could automatically tell that something was wrong. As he entered the house, his predictions were correct.

Opal was sat on the sofa with tear-stained eyes. Yumi was standing by the window with her arms folded, not looking very happy at all. Both of them looked up as Leighton came through the front door. Opal opened her mouth to speak but Yumi beat her to it.

'Do you realize how much trouble you're in, young man?' she snapped, sincere tone to her voice.

'It isn't Leighton's fault, don't take it all out on him!' cried Opal.

'Shut up, girl!' shouted Yumi.

'Hey, don't talk to my girlfriend like that!' gasped Leighton.

'And you can be quiet too, boy!' Leighton sighed.

'Mom, whatever. Just get to the point.'

'Well, the point is, because you were so irresponsible, you've managed to get your girlfriend here pregnant!'

Leighton couldn't say anything at all. With his mouth wide open in shock, his gaze kept switching from his angry mother to a still tearful Opal. Whenever he tried to say something, nothing managed to come out. Yumi continued to lecture.

'You're seventeen years old Leighton. Far too young. What did I tell you about university and everything? You've thrown away your entire future. Not to mention-'

'MOM, JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!' screamed Leighton. He was absolutely sick of her. Yumi's scowl got worse and Opal even cowered away a little in shock.

Without another word, Yumi stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind her. Leighton them automatically ran over to Opal and held her in his arms whilst she sobbed a little more.

'I'm so sorry... I've ruined your entire life.' she cried. Leighton wiped the tears from her eyes.

'Don't worry, you haven't ruined my life at all. I'm gonna stay right here for you and the baby.' he reassured.

'Really?'

'Of course. What made you think that I wouldn't?'

'Just... your mom.'

'Screw her. I'm old enough to make my own choices in life now. So, have you told your parents?'

'Yeah. They... they kicked me out of the house.'

'They did?!'

'Yup. I have nowhere to live.'

'Yes you do.'

'Where?'

'Here. Did you really think that I was going to let you live on the streets with a baby in your tummy? Huh?'

'But your mom will say no, won't she?'

'Opal, you gotta learn not to think about her opinion first. You're going to live here, alright?'

'Alright. Leighton?'

'Yeah?'

'You're going to be a great father.' Both teens gave a small smile.

'And you're going to be a great mother.'

Opal pretended to smile then, but inside she was slowly dying. She wasn't ready for parenthood, she was still too young.

_Dun dun dunnn... yeah. I had a huge 'oh crap' moment halfway through writing this, as I remembered that I have to finish and type up my huge long geography essay for tomorrow. So if it seems a little rushed towards the end, it's cause I needed to get this done._


	8. Chapter 8: Problems of Being Pregnant

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 8: Problems of Being Pregnant

_Bah. My room is a complete tip but I have no motivation to clean it up. As you've gathered by now, I'm a very lazy person. Oh yeah, and I made a one-shot the other day for the festive season. It's called Christmas in Sunset Valley and I'd really appreciate if you had a look._

After a few hours, Yumi returned home. She frowned when she saw Opal and Leighton still cuddled close.

'She's still here?' she scowled.

'Yes mother, she is. And she's staying.' said Leighton firmly. Yumi was appalled.

'What do you mean, she's staying?'

'Her parents kicked her out and she has nowhere else to go.'

'Well, she isn't staying here. That's for sure.'

Leighton's eyes narrowed.

'You are a heartless bitch. My girlfriend is carrying YOUR grandchild and you actually have the nerve to say that she can't live here?!'

'Well, excuse me for being practical.'

'Mother, that makes no sense.'

'Leighton, you make no sense! You're just like your father.'

'Don't you dare bring him up! Do you have any idea how much that divorce changed me?!'

'Shut up. Either the girl goes or I do.'

'Alright. Mother, leave the house.'

'What?! You chose HER over your own mother?!'

'She's called Opal. Yes, I did because I actually want to be a good father. Now leave.'

Yumi cried out in disgust before walking out of the house again. Opal stared on in shock.

'You didn't have to do that, you know.' she said.

'I wanted to do that. You're my entire world, Opal.'

'And that's why I love you.' smiled Opal. Leighton planted a small kiss on her lips.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Leighton decided to drop out of school so that he could get a part time job. It was also so that he could spend more time with Opal.

After quite a bit of hunting around, Leighton found a part time job at the grocery store. It had just enough pay to support him and Opal.

After work one day, Leighton was walking home and ran into his mother. They looked at one another.

'Hello, mother.' said Leighton, rather sadly. He actually secretly missed having Yumi around.

'Hello, Leighton. How are you and Opal holding up?' she replied. Well, at least she was now calling Opal by her real name.

'Not too bad. Where are you staying?'

'With my good old friend Bessie and her family. They are very welcoming.'

'Well, that's good to know.'

'Leighton, just to let you know that if you ever need any help when the baby is born, you know where I am.'

Leighton smiled.

'Thanks, mom.'

'No problem, Leighton. I'd best be on my way, goodbye.'

Leighton watched as his mother walked away. Well, at least they weren't yelling at each other for a change.

When he arrived home, he saw that Opal had fallen asleep on the sofa. She looked so peaceful. Giving her a kiss on the forehead, he set about cleaning the house. Opal couldn't really do many things whilst pregnant, so Leighton helped out as much as possible. Well, it was his house to start with.

After a few hours, Opal awoke to find a plate of goopy carbonara before her. Looking up at Leighton excitedly, he nodded his head and she tucked in. She always enjoyed the rare moments when she could eat her favourite food. It wasn't often that she had goopy carbonara.

* * *

A few months later, pregnancy had taken its toll on Opal. She had constant back aches and was also starting to get agitated over the slightest thing. All that Leighton could do was stay on her good side.

There were times where Opal would break down and cry over nothing, then there were times when she'd scream her head off about how she didn't want the baby. Those were the times when Leighton would keep his distance.

By the time that she was six months pregnant, she could barely even get out of bed. Her stomach was bigger than it should have been. Thankfully she was only having one child though, the doctor confirmed that. Leighton had to help her with everything. When she wasn't a hormonal mess, Opal would thank him as much as she could. She still didn't know what she'd do when the baby was born. There was the paranoia that she'd be an unfit mother. Leighton always said to her that she'd be far from that, but the feeling still stuck there like superglue.

One day whilst Leighton was working, Opal decided to take a walk around town. Much to her dismay, she found Jared walking towards her. She hadn't really seen him much since those few years ago when they had that massive fight that left her in hospital for a few days. She looked up at her ex boyfriend with a look of pure hatred.

'Congrats on the kid. Who's the father?' he asked mockingly. Opal rolled her eyes.

'Who do you think?'

'Meh, I don't know. Could be anyone. Who knows how many guys you've had it on with.'

'Um, excuse me?'

'You heard me.'

'Well, you can talk. Who was the one who recently managed to get three girlfriends within the space of two days?'

'Relax, I was drunk.'

'That's no excuse whatsoever. You're so immature, what did I even see in you?'

'Who cares? Anyway, just tell me who the father is.'

'Leighton. Who else would it be?'

'Wow. Surprised you didn't screw any other guys.'

Opal had had enough. She slapped Jared hard in the face.

'For your information, Leighton is the only person who I've been in a relationship with since you. He's enough for me. Now please, never talk to me again.'

Opal flounced off, feeling like she was going to explode with rage.

When she arrived home, the first thing that she did was punch the wall in anger before breaking down in tears. She wasn't ready for motherhood. She just wasn't.

_Yeah, Opal changed a lot. So, I never thought it was possible to be so sidetracked whilst writing this. It took six whole hours to write! Wow. This is also my last chapter before Christmas, so until next time, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!_


	9. Chapter 9: Welcoming

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 9: Welcoming

_So, did you all have a good Christmas? I really enjoyed mine. I won't list everything that I got because it would sort of be bragging in a way about the best things that I got, but I finally got a new phone! Yay! Sony Xperia T. By the way, from now on I'm only updating like once a week at the most. Writing literally nonstop since July has taken its toll on me :P Also one last thing, I'm working on an entire new section on my profile dedicated to some of the characters in my stories. Check it out if you want._

'Opal?'

'Yes, Leighton?'

'Is it alright if I invite my mother over? I mean, at least you two can be in the same room now without her nagging about you.'

It was true. Over the last couple of months, Yumi Sekemoto had softened up. She wasn't so much like an old prude anymore, more like how a grandma should be. Kind, caring, loving. Basically, Yumi had changed for the better. Leighton thought that she may have reacted to Opal's pregnancy badly at first because she had him in later life, and that's what she wanted for her son. But now, she was quite excited to have a grandchild.

'Yeah, I suppose. It's good to have some extra company.'

'You do get lonely sometimes when I'm at work, don't you?'

'Sometimes I do.'

'Well, I was talking to Buster Clavell the other day. Remember, my mother is staying at his house? He was saying to me that he doesn't actually want her there but he wants to keep his wife happy. So, would it be alright if she moved back in with us?'

'Eh, I suppose.'

'I mean, she's not exactly the best person to be around but at least it's company.'

'Yup. Sure, invite her back.'

Opal was secretly screaming inside. Even though Yumi was a changed woman, there still wasn't something right about her. She didn't know what it was.

A few hours later, all of Yumi's stuff had arrived back home. During most of that process, Opal had hid away in the bedroom, claiming that she was sleepy. She wasn't.

After that incident a few months earlier when Opal had punched the wall, nobody seemed to have noticed the dent to the left of the window. But Leighton was concerned about the blood on Opal's knuckles. She claimed that she'd caught them on something and he just went along with that. But Yumi noticed the dent as she carried her jewelry box back into her room.

'Leighton?' she said.

'Yes, mom?'

'Why is there a dent in the wall? That wasn't there when I lived here. It looks like somebody punched it.'

'Oh crap.' thought Opal, who was still in the bedroom. Yumi had noticed the dent in the wall and possibly guessed who had done it.

'I don't know, mom. I think it was there when we first moved in here. I swear it was.' said Leighton. Opal breathed a sigh of relief.

'Are you sure now?'

'Yes, I'm sure. Now let's put everything away in your room.'

The two then disappeared out of earshot and Opal decided that it was a good time to flee. She ran out of the house without looking back and almost ran into Jocasta Bachelor, who was also pregnant.

'Oh, sorry Jocasta. Didn't see you there.' apologized Opal.

'Don't worry about it. Anyway, when is your baby due?'

'In like three weeks. What about yours?'

'Three months.'

'I see. Are you having a boy or a girl?'

Jocasta seemed to tense up at that question.

'I... don't know. We're keeping it as a surprise.'

'Ah, right. I don't know the gender either.'

'Looks like we both like surprises.'

'Yeah.' laughed Opal.

'Well, I'd best be on my way. Bye!' waved Jocasta, walking off.

Opal didn't know where to go. She knew that Yumi would have her suspicions about her being the culprit for the wall dent. Before she could even think about her next move, a huge pain started coming through. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It was only then that she realized that she was giving birth on Main Street. In front of Town Hall and Central Park.

Why did it have to be now? There were still three weeks left of pregnancy! Surely it must be a false alarm!

Giving up, Opal let out a scream for help and then many people started running over. One was her best friend Anabelle, who was the one to take charge.

'Alright everyone, stop crowding around her. It's only going to cause more stress, which is not what she wants right now. Give her some room to breathe and somebody call the freaking hospital!' she ordered. Opal managed to give her a small smile, despite the pain she was in. Then another stab of pain came through and she let out another scream.

'My baby is coming now! I'm not ready yet! I don't want to be a mother right now!' she cried.

'Opal, calm down. You'll be alright, trust me.' reassured Anabelle.

'But the baby is still meant to be in there for three more weeks!'

'You'll be fine. Look, should we get you home or go to the hospital?'

'Just take me to the hospital. But Leighton needs to know where I am.'

'Right. You stay there. If somebody forces you to go straight to the hospital, just go straight there. I'll be right back, I'll get Leighton for you.'

Anabelle then took off towards Sim Lane and pounded her fist like crazy on Leighton's front door. It wasn't long at all before he answered.

'Yes? Is everything alright?'

'No! Your girlfriend is currently in labour outside of Town Hall!'

'WHAT?!'

'Leighton, I promised that you'd meet her at the hospital. She's literally been screaming and crying out in pain.'

'Oh crap... uh... mom? I'm going to the hospital.' said Leighton to Yumi. Anabelle rolled her eyes. How long was this going to take?

'What do you mean, you're going to the hospital?'

'The baby is coming now.'

'Now?'

'Yes, mother! Anyway, I have to go. Bye.'

Leighton finally ran out of the house as he and Anabelle made their way to the hospital as fast as their legs could take them. Leighton pushed everybody out the way at the reception desk and slammed his hands down on it.

'Where the hell is my girlfriend?!' he demanded.

'I'm sorry?'

'You heard me. She's just came here, currently in labour.'

'Oh... Opal Souza?'

'Yes, that's her. Where is she?'

'Maternity ward, room five. Are you the father of the child?'

'Of course I am!'

'Alright, just checking. Only fathers are allowed.'

Leighton then ran down the corridor and into room five where he found Opal, crying in pain.

'It's alright Opal, I'm here now. Don't try and get too stressed, promise?'

'I'll try.'

'Good girl.'

Opal suddenly grabbed Leighton's hand tightly and moaned in pain.

'I can see the head!' said a random nurse.

'MAKE IT STOP! I WANT THIS PAIN TO END!'

The grip on Leighton's hand finally loosened as the sound of a baby crying filled the room. Everyone's facial expressions changed to a smile.

'Congratulations Opal, you've given birth to a beautiful baby boy.'

Opal continued to stare on in shock whilst Leighton had a mile-wide grin.

The baby was passed over to Opal and she stared at his face. She could've sworn that she just gave birth to Leighton, he was a complete carbon copy of his father!

'Hi there little guy.' she whispered before looking over at Leighton.

'Want a hold of him?' she asked.

'Sure.'

Leighton held his new son in his arms and looked at him with love in his eyes.

'Opal, he's beautiful.' he smiled.

'That's because he looks just like you.' she replied.

She still wasn't sure if she could handle the responsibility of being a mother, but only time would tell.

_Yay for Sam! This story only has a few chapters left. Still debating on when I should post my Bella sequel. Strong chance it'll be in mid February. This is the last thing I'm writing for 2012, so I hope everyone has had a good year and will have a happy new year! See you next week!_


	10. Chapter 10: Heartbreak

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 10: Heartbreak

_I was listening to the song 'Goodbye' by Avril Lavigne whilst writing this chapter. Listen to it too whilst reading if you want. It relates in a way._

It was decided that the baby would be called Sam.

Opal held her son out whilst staring into his dark eyes. She sighed. She still wasn't too sure about having to be a mother.

Putting Sam into his cot, Opal retreated to the kitchen table, grabbing a pen and paper on her way.

After she'd written the letter, she tearfully stuck it up on the notice board by the front door before taking Sam back out of his cot and holding him close to her.

'Goodbye son, I love you.' she whispered, tears starting to fall from her face. Lying him back down, she planted a kiss on his forehead before walking out the front door, not looking back.

A couple of hours later, Leighton returned home from work to hear the sound of his son crying. His mother would still be out at her book club meeting, but surely Opal must be sorting Sam out. Opening the nursery door, Leighton saw that his son was the only one in there. His face was red with tears. Leighton dropped everything and rushed over to Sam, holding him close.

'It's okay son, daddy's here now. Please don't cry.' he reassured.

Now, where on earth was Opal? Leighton checked the bedroom to see if she'd simply fallen asleep or not, but she wasn't in there. As he let out a call for her name, he came across the letter on the notice board that was addressed to him. Heart thumping like crazy, he made his way to the sofa and sat down, Sam still in his arms. He opened the letter and began to read it,

_Dear Leighton_

_So, this may seem totally out of the blue, but this will probably be the last time you'll ever hear from me. I just can't cope with the pressure of being a mom. Like, we're still only eighteen! Yes, I do feel awful whilst writing this, and no doubt that I will have my regrets afterwards. But I have to leave. You have every right to hate me for this, I don't blame you. As for where I shall stay, it'll probably be a place in either Hidden Springs or Moonlight Falls. Bring Sam up well, make sure that he doesn't end up on the wrong side of life. I know that you'll be able to find love again, I mean, look at that face! It makes any girl go crazy! As for me, no need to worry. I'll be fine. But remember this, I will always love you. Don't blame any of this on yourself, it's my own silly fault. Well, I guess this is goodbye. These last few years have been some of the best in my life._

_Lots of love forever and always,_

_Opal xoxoxo_

Leighton couldn't believe what he had just read. Surely it must just be a sick practical joke of some sort? Opal can't just walk out on him! He can't be a single father!

But Opal wouldn't be the kind of person to write a letter like that as a joke. She really did mean it. She wasn't coming back. She'd left him.

Leighton quickly put Sam back in his cot before running out of the door and down the street, crying out with heartbreak. He held the letter in his hand at arms length before ripping it up into a million pieces. The tiny shreds of paper went blowing out into the air as Leighton finally started to break down in tears. Some of the neighbours were looking out of their windows, looking slightly concerned.

'Hey sir, are you alright?'

Leighton tearfully looked up from his hands to see Lolita Goth and Jessica Bachelor staring at him.

'No! My love has left!' he cried. Lolita walked over and patted him on the shoulder. She didn't understand, she was only seven years old.

'Where is she? Jess and I can help you find her!'

'She's gone forever! She isn't coming back!'

Before Lolita or Jessica could say any more, Leighton ran indoors again. He actually had plans to propose to Opal, but she left before he could.

When Yumi finally returned home after her extremely long book club meeting, she found her son lying flat out on his bed and her grandson fast asleep beside him.

'Leighton?' she said softly.

'Go away.' he groaned.

'No. What's wrong? It's not every day that you're like this.'

'She's gone, mom. Opal's left.'

'And what do you mean by that?'

'She wrote me a letter saying that she couldn't cope with motherhood, but that she still loves Sam and I. She said that she'd try and find a place in either Hidden Springs or Moonlight falls.'

'Where is that letter now?'

'I tore it apart. Mom, she's gone!'

Tears then started to fall from Leighton's face again and Yumi started to treat him like a child again, letting him sob into her shoulder whilst she held him close. Sam remained asleep.

'It's alright son, I'm here now. I'll help you look after Sam whilst you sort yourself out and work towards that athletic job that you always wanted.' she reassured.

'Thanks mom. But what are we going to tell Sam when he's old enough?'

'We'll say that she died not long after he was born. It'll be for the best, Leighton. I promise.'

_Yeah. I actually came up with an idea so this story will be a few more chapters longer than I'd first thought. So it turns out that Opal didn't die at all, she did a runner. I really want to give Leighton a hug, aw. _


	11. Chapter 11: The Truth

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 11: The Truth

_How come now that school's back, I have a sudden urge to just... write? Strange._

Over the next nine years, Sam was brought up into an intelligent and independent child.

Leighton wasn't that bad with his love life either. He continued to have an on/off relationship with Blair Wainwright. Not to mention that a few months after Opal left, he had a brief romance with her friend Anabelle before she died a horrific death, being shocked for two minutes straight.

As for Yumi, she continued to live with her son and grandson, as with attending daily book club meetings. Nobody quite understood how they could be so frequent.

_Present day_

Sam was starting to get quite scared. How did this strange lady know his name? His heart started pounding and he decided to speak his thoughts.

'How do you know my name? Who even are you?' he questioned. The facial expression on the lady changed to surprise.

'Oh gosh, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry!' she apologized. Sam just nodded.

'So once again, who are you and how do you know my name?'

'Sam... I'm your mother.'

The nine year old stared in disbelief, eyes narrowed. How could this psycho lady just show up on his doorstep and say that she was his mother? How could she be?! His mother had been dead basically since his birth!

'No you're not! I've never had a mom! She died just after I was born!'

'Sam, I didn't die. Who told you that I did?'

'Grandma Yumi...'

'I knew that it would be her. Listen, she's been lying to you for all this time.'

'How do you expect me to believe anything you're saying?'

'Well... are you locked out?'

'Yes. I am every night after school.'

'Seriously?'

'Yes.'

'Well, I kept the key to this place when I left. I can let us both inside.'

'What?! You arrive here, claiming that you are my mom, and then say that you can let us both inside?!' exclaimed Sam. He was on the edge of either calling out for help, or running away.

'Look Sam, I can understand why you don't believe me. Do you have any pictures of your mother to compare?'

'Yes... I have a small one in my sock drawer.'

'Please. Just let me let you in, I'll even stay out on the porch if you want me to. But just get that picture.' ordered the woman. Sam sighed in defeat.

'Fine. But stay there.' he said before being given the key. It actually did open the door, which Sam found suspicious. Was this lady actually telling the truth? Was she his actual mother? Only time would tell.

As he stepped inside the house, he slowly but surely made his way to his sock drawer. Opening it, he stared around at his blue walls. Was he actually believing this lady?

Taking the picture out of the drawer, he left his room and closed the door behind him. Emerging out onto the porch again, Sam held up the small picture next to the woman's face. As he did, tears started to appear in the corners of his dark eyes. Despite having much longer hair in the picture and not having dark circles, you could tell that it was the exact same person. She was indeed who she said she was.

'Mom... it really is you!' cried Sam, dropping the picture to the floor and attempting to hide the fact that he was crying. His mother scooped him up in her arms and he sobbed into her shoulder.

'It's alright Sam, I'm here now.' she reassured.

After Sam had finally sniffed most of his tears back up, the pair went inside. Opal scoped the room.

'Barely changed at all.' she muttered.

They both sat on the sofa.

'So, where have you been my entire life? I've been brought up to assume that you were dead!' demanded Sam.

'That's where you'll probably hate me. You see, when you were only a few days old, I left. I was young; I couldn't cope with being a mother. But directly after leaving, I was full of regret. I hated myself for what I did. Ever since then, I've been working up the courage to come back. But I was afraid that I'd be sent away. I let everyone in your family down, Sam. Your father the most. I assume that he hates me?'

'Well for a start, I forgive you for leaving. I'm just happy that I can finally join in with making mother's day cards at school. Making them for Grandma Yumi isn't exactly the best thing. And no, I don't think that dad hates you. Whenever I bring you up, he goes all quiet and has quiet replies. I always assumed that he didn't like to talk about your death, or so I thought.'

'I see. How has his love life been?'

'Well, when I was a few months old, he started seeing a girl called Anabelle-'

'Anabelle Oinkslopes?!' Opal interrupted, shocked.

'Yes...'

'She was my best friend! Anyway, continue.'

'After about a year of dating, Anabelle died.'

'What?! How?!' gasped Opal.

'Electrocuted, according to Grandma Yumi. She's buried in the graveyard.'

'Wow. Has your father seen anyone else since?'

'Yes. He's had an on/off relationship with Blair Wainwright for like three years now. As of right now, I don't know if they are dating or not. They need to make their minds up.'

Opal scowled as she remembered Blair, a prissy middle-class girl with eccentric parents who was in the grade below her and Leighton at school. Her hair was always tied into bunches and she seemed to squeal at everything. Putting it straight, Opal had never liked her.

'So anyway, who has been born in Sunset Valley after you?' she asked.

'Mortimer Goth, Bella Bachelor and Sandi French.'

'Oh, that's all?'

'Yup. But Jocasta Bachelor is pregnant with triplets.'

'Oh my gosh. So, has anyone died besides from Anabelle?'

'Milton Bachelor, Erik Darling and Lolita Goth also died a couple of years ago...'

'Lolita died?! No way, you have to be joking! How?! She must have only been like thirteen or fourteen!' Opal exclaimed in shock.

'She was electrocuted in her kitchen in front of Mortimer and Bella. Sad times.'

'Wow, I really can't believe that. She was such a sweet child... Anyway, sorry for all the questions but who are your friends at school?'

'Well, my best mate is Scott Keaton.'

'Oh, I remember him as a newborn. Last question, where on earth are your father and grandmother?'

'Dad's at work and Grandma Yumi is at her daily book club meeting.'

'No surprises there.'

'Yup. Hey, mom?' It still felt surreal to be able to call someone that.

'Yes?'

'Will you promise to stay?'

'Of course I do, Sam. If your father and grandmother let us see each other.'

'Well if they don't, then I'll run away!'

'It's mainly their choice, Sam. Even though I am your mom, your dad and grandma have always been your legal guardians.'

Sam sighed before deciding to give his mom another hug. He wanted to get used to this.

Then without warning, Leighton burst through the front door, sweaty and home very early.

'Sam? Mother?' he called out, locking the door behind him. Opal felt so much nostalgia and nervousness rush through her body; she felt like running away again.

'Dad? I'm in here!' replied Sam, actually feeling quite scared to see how his parents would reunite.

'Sam? How did you get in here without a key...' Leighton trailed off as he made eye contact with Opal, who was sitting on the sofa.

'Opal?!'

_Did Opal come back too early? I hadn't really thought of anything interesting to go in between, so..._


	12. Chapter 12: Unwelcoming

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 12: Unwelcoming

_Snow puts me in such a bad mood and I'm not even joking. But I should let my nerdy side feel happy, I posted something on Tumblr about Mymaths the other night and it already has like 3000 notes. It actually made me laugh because I only expected like one note at the most. Long intro today, as on Sunday morning my cousin's girlfriend gave birth to a beautiful baby boy called Chase. He's so cute. Lastly, I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA FOR TWO WEEKS IN NOVEMBER! My dad booked it last night, I seriously can't wait. _

'Hello, Leighton.' said Opal, avoiding making eye contact with the man who she left all those years ago.

'What the hell are you doing here?' Leighton asked.

'Sam, could you please leave the room for a moment?' Opal begged, looking desperately at her son. Sam nodded and left the room with a sigh, keeping his bedroom door ajar.

Leighton sat across from Opal and stared at her for a while in silence. He really wanted to kiss her again, but he was in a relationship with Blair! Once faithful, always faithful in Leighton's book. He finally spoke,

'Where have you been living all this time then?'

'Well, I lived in Hidden Springs for a couple of years. That's where you come from, isn't it?' Leighton nodded his head as Opal continued. 'Then I lived in Riverview for a while before getting an apartment in Bridgeport where I live now.'

'Wait, won't your family still live there?'

'I don't know. Haven't seen them around.'

'Wait, to get from Riverview to Bridgeport you need to drive through Sunset Valley.'

'I know that. Yes, I did make a brief drive through here to get to where I live now. I was contemplating coming to say hello, but the nerves kicked in again. I really do feel like crap for that Leighton, I'm surprised you haven't thrown me out yet.'

'The only reason that I haven't is because I actually need to know why you decided to show up on our doorstep tonight.'

'I don't know. I wanted to see Sam-'

'You waited nine damn years before finally deciding that you wanted to see my son?! I'm surprised that he even wants anything to do with you!' spat Leighton, having a total change in character. His words cut Opal deep; he didn't say that Sam was _her _son. He only referred to him as _his._

'I-I'm.. really sorry for everything.' whispered Opal after an awkward silence, feeling tears brimming in her eyes.

'And so you should be, you inconsiderate ass-'

'DAD!' gasped Sam, inviting himself back into the room. Leighton gave an icy glare as his son gave Opal a reassuring hug.

'Sam, who asked you to come back in here?'

'Shut up dad, why are you being such a jerk all of a sudden? You're no fun.' groaned Sam, cheeky tone to his voice.

'Excuse me young man, don't you dare talk to your father like that...' trailed off Yumi, entering the house. She gave a hard glare at Opal.

'And what is SHE doing here?!' she demanded. Leighton shrugged angrily and Sam felt his inner temper building up. Opal regretted ever showing up.

'Don't ask me, but Sam here actually let her in.' replied Leighton, shooting a look at his son who anxiously looked away.

'Samuel Brandon Sekemoto, what in the world were you thinking?!' scolded Yumi.

'Sadly, he gets that from me.' scoffed Leighton. Opal felt like a ghost in the room.

'You are such an irresponsible boy, Sam. Do you hear me? You are irresponsible.'

'SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!' screamed Sam at the top of his lungs. Opal couldn't help but think of Leighton then.

'I beg your pardon?!'

'Stop nagging to me about every single thing that I do! I'm absolutely sick of it! I mean, you're not perfect either.' What Sam said then made Opal put a hand over her mouth and try to hold back giggles. Yumi then remembered the uninvited guest in the room.

'Opal.'

'Yumi.'

'Look, this is the only time that I will ever do this. It's extremely dark and cold outside, far too late for you to go home. You can sleep on the sofa tonight and explain everything in the morning. Don't thank me, I'm getting soft in my old age.'

Yumi then walked out of the room without another word, followed by Leighton. Sam sat gingerly next to his mother on the sofa.

'Mom?'

'Yes?'

'I love you. Don't listen to dad and grandma Yumi. You're still important to me.'

_Sorry, I have writers block so looks like it's back to short chapters. This took a few days to write. Also, it's now a month until my Bella sequel. _


	13. Chapter 13: Journeys

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 13: Journeys

_This chapter would've originally been out at the start of the week. But then my crappy laptop broke last weekend and had to be wiped entirely. I lost everything. But on the plus side, I reinstalled all my Sims 3 games! After two years, I can play it again! I've played it every night since Wednesday. I've made loads of Tumblr posts with what I've been up to so far, and I'll no doubt be making a Simblr soon. I also shot a couple of extra scenes that weren't in my Bella story, if you wanna check those out. _

_The next morning_

Leighton awoke with a start before remembering the events of the night before. His ex-girlfriend, mother to his son, was probably still fast asleep on the sofa. Unless she'd ran off again.

In the next room along, Sam was just staring at the old picture of his mother. He still couldn't believe that she was here, she wasn't dead.

In the isolated building across the deck, Yumi lay awake. She couldn't believe that she'd actually let that Opal stay the night at her house. What was she thinking?! What gave the girl the right nerve to show up after all those years?

Leighton was the first one to leave their room and enter the living room. To his surprise, Opal was sat on the sofa, wide awake. She gave a small smile to Leighton, who found himself doing the same back.

'Did you have a nice sleep?' she asked. Leighton paused before answering.

'Yes. Yes I did. What about you?'

'Not bad, thanks for asking.'

'Opal?'

'Yes?'

'I'm sorry for losing my temper last night. I was just in shock. Look, if you really want to keep seeing Sam, then I'll let you.'

'Thanks.'

Sam then walked into the room and smiled at his parents.

'Morning.' he chirped.

'Morning, son. What are you going to do today?' asked Leighton.

'Would I be able to spend some time with mom?'

For a brief moment, Opal and Leighton made eye contact before he looked away.

'I suppose you can. Opal, you can take him out now if you want, and I'll explain to my mother everything that you said last night.'

'Okay. Thank you.'

Sam and Opal left the house ten minutes later. Opal hadn't brought any form of transport with her, so the pair made their way to the bus stop. Almost everyone in the street was staring at them.

'So mom, where are we going?' asked Sam.

'Well, where do you want to go?' replied Opal.

'Can we go to your house? I wanna see what it's like.'

'It's an apartment. And maybe another time, it's not exactly the best place to go to right now.'

'But mom! Pleeease?' pleaded Sam.

'I'll think about it.'

'Can we go to Bridgeport anyway?'

'Alright.'

As they were waiting for the bus, Blair Wainwright, Leighton's girlfriend, approached them.

'Hello Sam! Who's this?' she asked, faking a smile. She never really liked Sam; he was always in the way whenever she visited Leighton. Along with Yumi. She was the absolute worst.

'Oh, hi Blair. This is my mom!' beamed Sam. Blair stared at Opal in disbelief, before remembering her face.

'Hey there.' she muttered through gritted teeth.

'Blair. It's been a while.' replied Opal, rolling her eyes.

'Excuse me Sam, can your mother and I have a chat for just one moment?' Sam nodded and moved a few feet away.

'What the hell are you playing at?! Showing up after nine years? Huh?' spat Blair. Opal glared at the blonde-haired girl.

'And don't even think that Leighton would ever love you again! You broke his heart! Does he even know that you're taking Sam somewhere on the bus or are you running off with him too?' she added. Opal's glare became angrier and she almost slapped Blair, before remembering that her son who she had only just met was just a few feet away. She had to keep her cool.

'Shut up. Did I even mention Leighton? No. All I'm doing is bringing Sam to Bridgeport with me for the day, with his permission. Problem with that?'

'I was just saying...'

'Sure you were, Blair. Now stay away from me.'

Blair stormed off in the direction of Leighton's house and Opal turned to face Sam, just as the bus arrived. They bought their tickets and off they went into Bridgeport.

Sam gasped as they entered the city. He'd never been here before. His best friend Scott always gloated on about it; he went all the time with his dad.

Bridgeport was full of skyscrapers and flashing lights. He swore that he saw Lola Belle, famous actress, driving past.

'Woah! This place is AWESOME!' he exclaimed.

'Do you want me to show you where all the celebrities live?' smiled Opal.

'YES!'

'Alright. Name a celebrity who lives in Bridgeport and I'll show you their house.'

'Richie Striker! I wanna be just like him when I grow up!'

Richie Striker was a famous athlete who lived with his wife and young son. He had really made it big and was even good friends with Matthew Hamming.

As Opal and Sam stepped off the bus, the pair made their way across Bridgeport, Sam still marveling at the sights.

They finally stopped outside of a massive two-storey house with electric gates at the front. Sam actually started jumping around in shock as he stared through the house windows from afar.

'Mom! Look! Richie Striker! I can see him in his house!' he squealed. Opal smiled. She'd seen him plenty of times.

'MATTHEW HAMMING'S THERE TOO! MOM, CAN YOU SEE HIM?!'

Opal eventually had to usher Sam away from the house so that they didn't get seen.

'Want to watch a movie?' she asked. Sam nodded.

They watched the latest Lola Belle film. It was really good.

Whilst eating lunch in the diner, Sam spotted his best friend and his dad ordering food.

'Scott! Over here!' he called. Scott grinned and made his way over.

'Hey Sam, what are you doing here?!' he exclaimed, before looking over at Opal. He gave a very small smile to her.

'Scott, this is my mom.'

'But I thought your mom had died?'

'I thought that too. But she showed up at mine yesterday, turns out that Grandma Yumi had been lying to my for my entire life.'

'Wow. Well, nice to meet you, Sam's mom.'

'Nice to meet you too.' replied Opal. Scott then ran back to his dad.

'Mom?'

'Yes, Sam?'

'Can we go to your apartment now?'

_And, there we go. I've started planning for my Bella sequel. I've noted down the characters but I can't decide on a title name. There's like five different ones that I've written down. Well, if I still haven't decided by next chapter then can you guys help me out a little? Thanks._


	14. Chapter 14: Unexpected Discovery

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 14: Unexpected Discovery

_Yay, the snow has finally all melted. I've still yet to make a Simblr, blame me being a huge procrastinator. Maybe tomorrow. Or the next day. Or whenever._

'Sam, we can't right now. I told you.' Opal insisted.

'But mom! Please! Just for five minutes?'

'The next time we come here. I promise.'

'Are you hiding something from me?!' demanded Sam. Opal sighed in defeat.

'Fine, I'll take you. But you'll be shocked and will probably hate me.'

The two left the diner and walked across Bridgeport to a huge apartment building. They stepped into the elevator and Opal pressed the button to go to the twelfth floor. She looked around nervously, heart pounding. How was Sam going to react to this?

The elevator finally reached the twelfth floor and Sam eagerly ran out into the corridor.

'Which one is it, mom? Which one?' he asked.

'Number 215.'

Sam ran up to that door and waited as patiently as he could for his mother to unlock it.

'Okay Sam, I don't know how you'll react to this, so just prepare yourself. Okay?'

Sam nodded as Opal unlocked the door. The first thing that he could smell was burnt toast. Looking around, the apartment wasn't exactly the most attractive place to be. Bright canary yellow walls with a white skirting board, navy blue floor tiles that were freezing cold even when Sam had his shoes on, dirty dishes piled up next to the kitchen sink, something clearly leaking from the fridge, and not to mention a mouse hole was peaking out from behind the TV.

'...wow.' Sam managed to say, clearly lost for words. Before he could say anything else, a voice was heard.

'Mummy? Are you home?'

Sam narrowed his eyes in pure confusion and looked towards Opal, whose face was bright red. Surely he was just hearing things? Those thoughts were banished when a small child emerged from behind a corner. Her light brown hair was tied messily into a braid. She had hazel eyes, just like Opal. She surely must have only been three or four at the most.

'...who are you?' asked the girl, peering up at Sam with a strange look.

'Felicity, this is your brother that I told you about.' said Opal rather calmly.

'Oh. Hi!' she smiled.

'Sam... this is Felicity. Your little sister.' confessed Opal.

Sam's heart literally did a backflip. So, his mother wasn't there for literally all of his life, yet had another kid waiting at home?

'Oh.' was all that Sam managed to say.

'Yeah, I can understand why you're in shock. Why don't you try and talk to your sister whilst I pay the babysitter?'

'Fine.' huffed Sam, moving over to the sofa, Felicity trailing behind.

'So, you have the same mommy as me?' asked the young girl, eyes wide with curiosity.

'Yup.' replied Sam, looking at his shoes. He really didn't know what to say. He felt jealous in a way, as Felicity had had Opal for her entire life, unlike Sam.

'Who is your daddy?'

'Leighton.'

'Cool. I don't have a daddy, he left.'

'I see.'

'Where do you live?'

'Sunset Valley.'

'How old are you?'

'Nine.'

'I'm four.'

Before Sam could reply with any other extremely short answer, Opal appeared out of nowhere.

'Alright Sam, should we drop you back home then? We'll take the car this time.' she asked, aware that her son felt uncomfortable.

'Yeah.' he replied.

'Alright then. Come along, Felicity.'

The three exited the apartment and went down the elevator before making their way to Opal's car. It was a dark green and looked like it really needed a run through the car wash. They hopped into the car, Sam at the front, Felicity in her car seat at the back.

The drive back to Sunset Valley was quiet and awkward. Sam mostly glanced out of the window whilst Felicity tried to copy him. She didn't understand. She was four.

Once they pulled into Sim Lane, Yumi was looking out of the window, as if she was awaiting their return. Sam quickly jumped out of the car, along with Opal. She pulled him into a hug.

'I'm sorry, Sam.' she whispered.

'It's fine.' he lied.

'See you again soon?'

'Alright. Promise?'

'I promise. Bye. See you next Saturday?'

'Okay. See ya.'

Sam waved and ran back inside. He'd barely shut the front door when Yumi started bombarding him with questions.

'Where did she take you?'

Sam was prepared to answer, but instead he broke down into tears.

'Oh dear... Leighton? Your son's crying.'

Leighton came running and let Sam cry into his shoulder for a few minutes before getting down to business.

'Why are you crying, hm?' he asked.

'How could she?! I hate her! I hate her!' cried Sam.

'What happened?'

'She has a kid at home, dad! She didn't run away from her!'

'...what?'

'I have a four year old sister called Felicity! I hate her!'

'Woah, now calm down. Remember how young your mother was when she had you? She was eighteen; she wasn't thinking straight at the time. She still loves you, never forget that.'

'But it's not fair!'

'Sam, life isn't fair. Just give your sister a chance. You might actually really like her if you try.'

_Yeah, I don't think that Sam was too happy about that. Haha._


	15. Chapter 15: Confrontation

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 15: Confrontation

_So I finally got round to making a Simblr. Check it out if you want. I basically just post what I've been up to in my game, though it's mostly Bella and Morty so far. It's 'lovesunsetvalley'. Meh, 'sunsetvalleylove' was taken. And oh crap, mid February is next weekend and that's when I said I would release my Bella sequel. We'll see how that goes because I'm going to a concert (Example:D) next Saturday night._

As the months passed by, Sam continued to see Opal every couple of weeks. He still didn't care much for his sister, but learned to grow used to her.

As for Leighton, he and Blair were having relationship struggles. They just couldn't make ends meet.

Yumi continued to nag about Opal's secret daughter, saying that Sam shouldn't see either of them.

It was one day when Sam was sat staring at the extremely small TV that Leighton barged through the front door, slamming it behind him. He looked up at his dad.

'Everything alright?' he asked.

'Not really. I've just finished things with Blair.'

'You have?!' exclaimed Sam, trying to hide the fact that he was overjoyed.

'Yup. Our arguments were becoming too much.'

'Oh well.' Sam shrugged, before continuing to watch Plumbob Simpants.

'Anyway, I was wondering. What's your mother's apartment in Bridgeport like? I never got round to asking you that.'

'Oh. It's small and the dishes in there need washing.'

'Think you could show me where it is? I want to see for myself.'

'Why?'

'I'm curious, Sam. Now get in the car, I'm taking you to Bridgeport.'

Sam sighed and turned the tv off. It was just getting to the point where Plumbob was going to sleep anyway.

He was confused over his father's sudden interest in getting to Opal's apartment. Sam swore that next time he visited, he would bring a pile of air freshener, disinfectant and rubber gloves. That place needed a huge clean.

The two eventually arrived in Bridgeport and Leighton was directed to Opal's apartment building. Her car was parked outside, it looked as if it had had a clean.

As Sam and Leighton stood in the elevator, there was a short silence. Sam decided to say something.

'Dad, I'm serious. Why did you want me to take you to mom's apartment?'

'Because I want to see what conditions that she and your sister live in. I'm concerned over what you've told me about the place.'

'Alright.'

As they reached Opal's front door, Leighton hit his first on it and they waited for about half a minute before Opal answered. Her face turned bright red when she saw who was standing there.

'Oh... hi there, didn't expect to see you two here. Everything alright?' she asked, biting her lip.

'Don't ask me, dad wanted me to take him here.' said Sam, looking up towards his father.

'I just wanted to see what your place was like.' Leighton added.

'Well alright, I guess you can come in. But excuse the mess.' replied Opal, face continuing to burn an unnatural shade of red. She opened the door wider and let the two visitors in. Leighton had only seen Felicity once, and that was when she was in the back of Opal's car. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the disgusting condition that the apartment was in.

'Good God, Opal... this place is a dump!' he exclaimed, taking in his surroundings. He wasn't too sure, but he thought that it smelt of stale fish.

Sam ignored his parents and continued into Felicity's room, where he found his sister playing with some dolls. He gave her a small smile.

'Sam!' she exclaimed, jumping up and running over to give her brother a hug.

'Hey there, Feli. What's that you're playing?' asked Sam. He was actually determined to attempt to be a decent big brother.

'Princess Sophia is in trouble and Prince Timothy is trying to rescue her but he can't!' she exclaimed, eyes wide.

'Really? Well, why can't he save her?'

'Because the evil Queen Tiara is in his way! It isn't fair Sam, he needs help!'

Sam continued to play along with his little sister's storyline whilst Leighton was confronting Opal in the kitchen.

'Opal, this is not good enough! What the hell even happened here?! It looks like a bomb exploded!' he ranted.

'I'm a very untidy person, I thought you knew that.'

'Yes, I knew that. But not like this! This is absolutely disgusting! And not to mention that you have a four year old living here too! What would the social worker say about this?!'

'I don't know...'

'Opal, yes you do know. They would say that it was too harsh conditions and you know what would happen? They'd take your daughter away! Do you really want that?!'

'No...'

'Exactly. So either clean this place up, or you both are coming to live with Sam and I.'

'What?!'

'You heard me. Now start cleaning.'

Felicity then ran into the room, Sam chasing after her.

'Mommy! Sam and I helped defeat the evil Queen Tiara! Prince Timothy and Princess Sophia can be together at last!' she beamed, not fully taking into account the fact that Leighton was stood there, staring at her. But then she finally did.

'Are you Sam's daddy?' she asked innocently.

'Yes. Yes I am.' replied Leighton.

'I'm Felicity, nice to meet you!' she smiled.

'Nice to meet you too, Felicity. I'm Leighton.'

'Hi there Leighton!'

Sam and Opal then exchanged glances. Those two had really seemed to have taken a liking to one another.

_Short chapter, sorry. Oh and I made the most pointless story ever on Wattpad. It has some of the original plotlines from my old stories. It says like how Lolita and Simis were originally meant to die, how Morty and Bella's first kiss was going to go, etc. Check it out if you want to._


	16. Chapter 16: Mutual Feelings

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 16: Mutual Feelings

_Hey! So it's been how long? Like two months or something? Yeah, it's been a while since I last updated. I lost all motivation and inspiration for this story, it just seemed to move over to my new story. I'm really trying hard on that one. And yes, this'll no doubt be a short chapter..._

As the passing months turned into years, Sam eventually found himself celebrating his thirteenth birthday. His parents were actually good friends now. He and Felicity were also inseparable when together. The only downside was that a few months earlier, Yumi Sekemoto had died peacefully in her sleep. Leighton was crushed, he'd spent his entire life living with his mother and now she was gone forever. Sam was also upset, and Opal comforted him whenever she could, despite the fact that the two never really got on very well.

One Saturday, Sam was preparing to take Felicity to see the new fairy princess movie. She was still interested in all that stuff. Sam however, wasn't. But he was the only one who could actually take his seven-year-old sister as both Leighton and Opal were working. Well, they said they were anyway.

As Sam left Opal's new house in Sunset Valley with Felicity, he began to think. Wasn't his dad supposed to be off work today? But then again, ever since Grandma Yumi died, he'd been confused about many things.

'Two tickets for Princess Emeralda and the Magical Unicorn, please.' requested Sam, handing over a small pile of simoleons in the process. Movie tickets were too damn expensive these days. In return, Sam was given the tickets and he led Felicity into the theater. He had to remember to stay focused because without a doubt his little sister would excitedly ask him questions throughout the film.

Over at 24 Sim Lane, Leighton and Opal were sat around the kitchen table, both drinking a mug of coffee. They weren't really at work all day, they just wanted an excuse for both children to be out for a couple of hours so that they could catch up on the last few weeks without any interruptions.

'So, are you still recovering from the death of your mother?' asked Opal. Her hazel eyes bore into Leighton's dark ones.

'Kind of. Though I've almost fully got over it. The last few months have been tough without her.' Leighton sighed. Opal simply nodded.

'I think Felicity is getting bullied at school.' she confessed.

'What makes you think that?' Leighton questioned.

'Well, she always pretends to be ill nowadays to avoid going into school, whenever Sam's around she always clings to him, and I've also heard her cry herself to sleep a couple of times.'

After a few moments of silence, Leighton spoke,

'Yes, I think that she is. The exact same thing happened to Sam when he was seven, turns out that he was bullied because he didn't have a mother around...'

Opal frowned, remembering how she'd left her son for nine years.

'And never again will that happen to him, because I'm never going to leave his life again.' she said firmly.

'Yeah, I believe you. It's been something like three and a half years now since you came back.'

'Wow, it only feels like last week I reunited with Sam.'

After a small moment of silence, Leighton decided to speak again. Except this time, he wasn't sure how Opal was going to reply to it.

'Opal?' he asked timidly.

'Yes, Leighton?'

'I admit that I uh... still have some feelings for you. Even after all these years.' he confessed. Opal went quiet, taking it all in. She eventually sighed.

'I do too.' she admitted quietly. Leighton could barely hear her.

'You do?'

'Yeah. I still love you, Leighton.'

'And I still love you, Opal.'

The two smiled awkwardly at each other before they both found themselves leaning across the kitchen table before their lips locked together. It was just like old times.

Sam couldn't wait for the movie to finish. It was too childish and girly for his liking. But Felicity was beaming all the way through.

'Look, Sam! She found the Magical Unicorn! Isn't it exciting?!' she squealed. Just like she would've done three and a half years earlier.

'Mmhmm.' Sam nodded, wishing that it was over already. He had to bite his lip back from cursing.

The film eventually finished and Sam decided to take his sister back to his house for a little while before she returned home. As the two came in through the front door, all they saw was their mother and Sam's father snuggled up close on the sofa. Both were fast asleep. Shushing Felicity, Sam crept over and felt the back of his eyes burning with tears of happiness. His parents were together again, and hopefully forever.

_Why does the writer's block come in at the most awkward moments? Hahah, sorry. Probably only one or two chapters left of this story._


	17. Chapter 17: Family

Living Without a Mom ~ Chapter 17: Family

_So, this is the final chapter for this story. Yeah._

A couple of weeks later, Sam was sat in school with a huge smile plastered on his face. Ever since his parents were back together again, he'd always be in a permanently happy mood. His childhood dreams were finally coming true.

Thanks to his happiness, Sam's grades were going right up. All of his teachers were impressed at how much he'd improved. His friends were all pleased for him. Yes, this was the happiest that Sam had felt in his entire life.

After school, all that Sam had to do was pick Felicity up from the elementary before returning home. His mother and sister had already moved in with him and his father. As he saw the seven-year-old leave the doors of the recently built Sunset Valley Elementary, a group of boys that looked around nine, ten years old crowded around her. Sam narrowed his eyes. What exactly were they doing?

Sam found his feet walking over to the group of children and peered over their shoulders to find his little sister right in the middle, crying her eyes out. What the hell?! He stepped into action, barging right through the group and pulling Felicity close to him.

'Now would you like to explain what you are doing to make my little sister cry?! Huh?!' Sam demanded. Nobody made Felicity upset whilst he was around. Nobody.

None of the kids spoke a word and awkwardly shuffled their feet about.

'I'll wait for an answer all day if I have to. So it's best if you just explained yourselves.'

One of the young boys eventually stepped forward.

'We... we've been ganging up on her ever since she started going to this school. She seemed like an easy target.' he awkwardly admitted.

'Well, I think that you should stop doing that right now! Imagine if you were in her position? How would you feel? And for the record, I will be telling the school about this. Who is your teacher?' Sam felt as if he was going to explode with rage. How DARE they gang up on his little sister!

'It's... uh.. Mr Bates.'

Without another word, Sam frogmarched Felicity into the Elementary school building. A couple of the boys sheepishly followed.

'Now, where's Mr Bates' room?' Sam asked.

'Down the corridor, third right.' said a boy who wore a blue and black baseball cap.

Opening the door that apparently led into Mr Bates' room, Sam saw a middle-aged man whose obviously dyed brown hair was balding. He wore circle-rimmed glasses and his light blue shirt was tucked into his grey trousers. He looked up as the group entered the room.

'May I help you?' he asked.

'Yes. This is Felicity, my little sister. These boys here, who I believe are in your class, have been ganging up on her ever since she started attending this school a few months ago.'

Mr Bates looked furious.

'They'd better not have! We here at Sunset Valley Elementary have a strict anti-bullying policy!' he boomed, causing even Sam to be taken aback. Felicity actually grabbed hold of her brother's hand.

'We're really sorry, Mr Bates...' apologized the boy with the baseball cap.

'And so you should be. I'm disappointed in you lot. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Felicity's older brother.'

'Sam.'

'Alright. I'll let their parents know and I will also make this lot explain everything.'

'Okay, thank you. Bye.' Sam then quickly led Felicity out of the school and took her back home. He had to move into his father's old room, Opal and Leighton moved into his Grandma Yumi's old room so that left Felicity with Sam's old room. Opening the front door to his house, he found Opal in the kitchen, making some food.

'Hey mom. The food smells nice.' Sam greeted.

'Hello you two. Thanks, it's a pasta bake. Sound nice?'

Both of Opal's children nodded their heads eagerly. Sam then retreated to his room to get started on his homework.

A few hours later, Leighton returned home from work. The family decided to all to out to the movies together. They watched a film called Finding Bella. It reminded Sam of his friend Bella Bachelor.

Once they were all home after the movie, it was way past Felicity's bedtime. Sam needed to tell Opal about the entire bullying situation that he'd caught her in.

After Opal had kissed Felicity goodnight, she made her way back into the living room. But Sam stopped her before she could sit down again. He decided to just tell it straight out.

'Mom, Felicity has been bullied at school and I saw it happen.'

That comment made Leighton take his eyes away from the TV to listen into the conversation that was about to happen. Sure Felicity wasn't his own daughter, but she may as well have been.

'Well, I've had my suspicions for a while now. But what exactly went on?'

'I was waiting outside the Elementary for Felicity and as she was leaving, a group of boys all crowded around her. I went over to see what was going on and I found her in the middle, crying her eyes out. I confronted the boys and they owned up that they'd been ganging up on her ever since she started at that school. I then took them to their extremely strict teacher, and looks like they're gonna be in massive trouble.' Sam explained as both his parents listened intently.

'Well Sam, I'm proud of you for stepping in and helping out your sister. I'm sure your dad agrees...?' Opal praised, looking back at Leighton. He gave an approving nod.

'Anything for Feli.' Sam smiled.

* * *

Three years later, Sam was walking through the corridor at school, attempting to avoid the fact that Bella Bachelor and Mortimer Goth were acting all lovey-dovey right in front of his locker. He eventually had to cough to get them to move away otherwise he'd be late to class.

'Hey Sam, is your mom pregnant again?' asked Mortimer as Bella grabbed his hand and started leading him away.

'...what?!' Sam exclaimed. By this point, the two lovebirds were already running off. It was obvious that they were skipping class.

But surely his mother couldn't be pregnant?! She would've told him by now! Frowning, Sam gathered his things from his locker and headed to class.

After school, Sam made his way home. He couldn't stop thinking about the question that Mortimer had asked him. Could it be true? Could his mother be pregnant? Stepping through the front door, Opal was beaming at him.

'Sam, I have two things to tell you. And they're both two pretty big and life-changing things. The first thing is, you're going to have a little brother or sister in seven months! The second is, your father and I are getting married! Isn't it all exciting?!' she announced. Sam stared in a shocked silence, processing all the information that he'd just heard. So it turned out that Mortimer was right. But sixteen years after his birth, his parents were FINALLY tying the knot? HELL YES!

So it may have taken seven years since the events of meeting his real mother and his sister, but in the end it was all worth it. Sam could finally take pride in saying that his family was complete.

_And CUT. Woop! Yeah, some of you will probably think that that was a bad place to end it, but it'll no doubt leave you all imagining what happens next. Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favourites, I know literally everyone says this but they really do mean the world to me and I really appreciate them. It makes me just that little bit more motivated to continue writing, knowing that there's people who are waiting for the next update. So thanks again. And until my next story update, see you around!_


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